YouTube Gaming: how to download videos

Olga Weis11 December at 17:17

YouTube has created its own “sub-site” called YouTube Gaming. This site is similar to Twitch in that it caters directly to gamers and their fans, and allows gamers to record their gaming and broadcast it live to fans and other gamers. If you're a gamer or a gaming fan, you may find broadcasts that you wish to record and download to your Mac to playback at a later time. The problem is that YouTube does not currently provide any method to download their livestreams.

A relatively new spin-off channel from Rich Evans and Jack Packard of Red Letter Media fame, there are copious Twitch recordings here; but the real meat lies in their occasional, lengthy dissections of games both new and old. Skewering mainstream releases and sacred cows while championing indie gems, their forthright views are always interesting – and sometimes eyebrow-raising – to behold.

Slinging up a mish-mash of panel discussions, gameplay and other entertaining content, these guys are a must-see for all things gaming. Each stream is hosted by one or more of four hilarious group members with special guests popping in periodically. Not only is their in-game green screen action pretty epic, your cheeks will get sore from laughing so much.

As self-proclaimed videogame hype man, Maximillian does exactly that. His primary focus is on fighting games and arcade titles, with new releases like Tekken 7 and Injustice 2 slipping into the mix. This goofy gamer is the one to watch if you're all about those one-two punches and combo moves.

He may be a divisive figure, but Joe Vargas serves up some of the most entertaining, insightful and in-depth game reviews on the web. His ‘Angry Reviews’ regularly top the 30-minute mark, and are laden with irreverent fancy-dress fueled sketches and fiery rants alike. Passionate in the extreme, but fair and balanced with it, you’ll truly empathise with a guy who really wants to love each and every game – and gets furious when they let him down.

Noclip is a documentary-focused channel, dedicated to providing insight on your favorite new games, childhood classics and more. This outlet is primarily for the serious gaming crowd, with videos like "Unraveling VR's Potential," documentaries on hits like Doom and Rocket League and a variety of developer profiles. If the nitty-gritty of gaming is your thing, be sure check them out.

A glorious geek culture thinker whose thoughts on everything from the latest releases to online controversy are always worth a watch, Boogie is one of the most likable gaming personalities on YouTube – and his Francis alter-ego, for which he is perhaps best-known, offers copious opportunity for really fun parodies of gamer outrage.

A veritable titan of gaming analysis, John Bain rakes through everything from indie oddities to Triple A behemoths with a fine toothcomb; his immensely popular ‘WTF is…’ series providing a really neat mix of review and first impressions piece as he plays through the initial stages of a new game and reports his feelings on the experience. As articulate as it gets, his meticulously formulated views are always worth listening to.

Games Done Quick is a channel that broadcasts video game "speedrun" charity marathons with player commentary. Content varies from top titles to games you've probably never heard of, and everything in between. The folks at GDQ are known for "playing weird games quickly and quick games weirdly," so of course they'd make our list.

Giant Bomb is best known for its "Quick Look" videos, where you can get a raw, unfiltered look at how the biggest new games actually play. The GB crew also delivers some truly entertaining VR videos, as well as the Giant Bombcast: a weekly gaming podcast that's one of the best in the business thanks to its mix of entertainment and insight.